1st Haiku:
That morning, I fainted
When I came to, there was Breath
My loyal servant
( dispassionate master )
1st E-mail:
FROM: "The Maiden"
TO: Befriended Shadow
CC: Unfathomable Void
Dearly clearly recognized one,
I no longer doubt you ~~~ nor do I believe you.
The Pomegranate seeds you forced down my throat last Spring reddened my tongue. Then the old woman baptized it with her brew. Now I can easily dissolve your acids!
We two are indeed Eternal friends .....but I am no longer your quarry, your prize, no longer fair game.
I will continue to allow our Winter picnics and night time tea parties.
Tenderly,
"The Maiden"
1st Interpretation of the Buddhist "Heart Sutra"
The patient one
free to live her own precious heart's timing.
Releasing the numberless beings and the ten thousand things.
Risking:
for the truth of which truth can name
for the truth of which truth cannot name
for the truth of which truth can neither name or not name...
Poems and poetry as experiential art experiments, created by a dedicated core, sparking consciousness river, word slurry. A harvest of poems and creative thought from a creative collective cadre.
Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Burst Peony
Burst Peony
RED PEONY
-open-
BURST
barely seen yellow stigma shown
neighbors to follow soon
with scarlet poppy sleeves
sprinkling paionic seeds
purple lilacs emit fine aromatics
come bind to PINK ROSE scented air
poppy,lilac,rose,peony petals blown
Twelve
I’ve always envisioned the six of them lurking
in the halls of the vacated school,
bored as hell, stinking of Marlboros,
spitting at walls, pissing against lockers,
at war with the whole damned galaxy—
then Higgins sees us on our Stingray bikes
cruising the corridors, weaving around poles,
and swears to his buddies, "I hate these motherfuckers” —
because we’re Austs, because we’re lucky,
because we haven’t a clue,
because our backyard fence boundaries
his grandmother's orchard
and we eat of the fruit of her trees
with her permission--not his.
Never his.
Those unpruned pregnant nectar-rich trees,
lush apricots dripping with gold
into the dusty high weeds of that gnarled orchard
too huge for her to manage
which Higgins prowls like a border guard
whenever he’s left with her
with Liberty Valance eyes
and a soggy peach in each clenched fist.
Of course we resist--my brothers against his—
heaving threats, insults, dirt clod grenades,
until that inevitable hurled stone
rebounds off our sliding glass door and
signals a clear declaration of war.
I hop the fence solo one dry afternoon
thinking the orchard all mine,
stumble to my knees, look up to find Higgins
glaring behind the star thistles.
I swear he intends to tear me in two
but stand my ground as he warily circles.
Then the wilderness pulls us down and we clutch
and roll in an awkward embrace,
biting the earth, pummeling nothing,
then abrubtly, dirt-caked with dusty nostrils,
stand and part our ways,
relieved to have wrestled Apollyon
for ten seconds and survived.
It’s Higgins sets us up the next spring
at the empty Junior High.
My six-year-old brother, sun speckled and small,
straddles his thick-tired bike
as I grope my filthy locker for a
history book misplaced.
Someone’s hand interferes, clutches the metal door.
“What are you hiding in there?”
It’s Fredricks. I know him. A wounded raccoon.
I wonder how many grown men he’s defaced.
Six guys surround me. I pause to consider.
Higgins among them, smirking.
And then the spider bites
between the knuckles of my freckled right hand.
That’s Brinkley, gibbon-faced, alcoholic,
drilling his cigarette into soft smoking flesh.
“Does that hurt?” he says with a clownish grin,
then clears his throat, spits three times in my hair.
I thrust my bike at him.
Surprised, he falls back. Remembering my brother,
I say,“Let’s leave these punks, Tim.”
And back away.
And they let us go. Laughing.
We speed ourselves home, not speaking at all
except to conspire, “Don’t tell Mom.”
Not a cloud in the sky that day, my right hand stinging,
the air full of lilacs and blossoms
and the pondering of my twelve-year-old mind:
how no greater indignity has yet been inflicted
in the history of mankind.
in the halls of the vacated school,
bored as hell, stinking of Marlboros,
spitting at walls, pissing against lockers,
at war with the whole damned galaxy—
then Higgins sees us on our Stingray bikes
cruising the corridors, weaving around poles,
and swears to his buddies, "I hate these motherfuckers” —
because we’re Austs, because we’re lucky,
because we haven’t a clue,
because our backyard fence boundaries
his grandmother's orchard
and we eat of the fruit of her trees
with her permission--not his.
Never his.
Those unpruned pregnant nectar-rich trees,
lush apricots dripping with gold
into the dusty high weeds of that gnarled orchard
too huge for her to manage
which Higgins prowls like a border guard
whenever he’s left with her
with Liberty Valance eyes
and a soggy peach in each clenched fist.
Of course we resist--my brothers against his—
heaving threats, insults, dirt clod grenades,
until that inevitable hurled stone
rebounds off our sliding glass door and
signals a clear declaration of war.
I hop the fence solo one dry afternoon
thinking the orchard all mine,
stumble to my knees, look up to find Higgins
glaring behind the star thistles.
I swear he intends to tear me in two
but stand my ground as he warily circles.
Then the wilderness pulls us down and we clutch
and roll in an awkward embrace,
biting the earth, pummeling nothing,
then abrubtly, dirt-caked with dusty nostrils,
stand and part our ways,
relieved to have wrestled Apollyon
for ten seconds and survived.
It’s Higgins sets us up the next spring
at the empty Junior High.
My six-year-old brother, sun speckled and small,
straddles his thick-tired bike
as I grope my filthy locker for a
history book misplaced.
Someone’s hand interferes, clutches the metal door.
“What are you hiding in there?”
It’s Fredricks. I know him. A wounded raccoon.
I wonder how many grown men he’s defaced.
Six guys surround me. I pause to consider.
Higgins among them, smirking.
And then the spider bites
between the knuckles of my freckled right hand.
That’s Brinkley, gibbon-faced, alcoholic,
drilling his cigarette into soft smoking flesh.
“Does that hurt?” he says with a clownish grin,
then clears his throat, spits three times in my hair.
I thrust my bike at him.
Surprised, he falls back. Remembering my brother,
I say,“Let’s leave these punks, Tim.”
And back away.
And they let us go. Laughing.
We speed ourselves home, not speaking at all
except to conspire, “Don’t tell Mom.”
Not a cloud in the sky that day, my right hand stinging,
the air full of lilacs and blossoms
and the pondering of my twelve-year-old mind:
how no greater indignity has yet been inflicted
in the history of mankind.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Subsection at the Congress of Flowers, Spring 72013, Announcing the Contested Theme of "Green Might"
Ahem. With the adoption of the international motto of the consortium for the preservation of frolicking nymphs and woodsprites, here in the sunset lit glade with rain that slants like clementine flowers, softly, behind new willow and ash, green- fronded, luxuriant-haired trees, we can embrace "green might" as our seasonal theme with a soft sigh and a shiver of delight. I want to honor those who made the case for "flower power" as theme and the ones contesting power and might with nonviolent metaphors such as "tree hug." I would remind everyone that, though hotly discussed, we will have another opportunity, when next we gather at the flat rocks by the river when the full moon crosses the middle hill then rises, to discuss future themes.
I know that those who feel confident there is only one goddess and her color is green as well as those more metaphysical sprites who look to the stars for a polytheistic galactic pantheon glittery in aspect might feel unsettled that we have decided to defer discussion on the nature of Nature to the summer convocation. Nevertheless, let us rejoice, in "green might."
I know that those who feel confident there is only one goddess and her color is green as well as those more metaphysical sprites who look to the stars for a polytheistic galactic pantheon glittery in aspect might feel unsettled that we have decided to defer discussion on the nature of Nature to the summer convocation. Nevertheless, let us rejoice, in "green might."
Dragonflies have decided to make themselves available off the cedar esplanade at break time. Shining or buffing wings and/or singing with glitter application are considered acceptable mutually reciprocal gifts for lifts.
The group magnolia flower essence making playshop has been moved to the opening flowers by the moon glade, to be summoned by the trumpetflowers after skyglow passes.
Thirdly, the sunset team is requesting votes via seedpods for the spring sky palette. As usual, vibrate your magical dandelion seed heads with your color votes and deposit them by the base of the flowering chestnut by the dark of the moon to participate. Your colors count! A note, to the pranksters who submitted polka dots, the sunset team will not accept clear patterns of simple shapes of any kind, particularly not in neon green, and requests you refrain from placing such repulsive visual horrors near the growing palette emergence.
A new event: the bumble bees are hosting the first honey tasting of the season at the first glimmer of Venus in the evening sky. Additionally, three more slots for sparkle and gleam apprenticeships at the hive are available; beings under 1,000 suncycles most welcome.
With no further ado, let us skylark our way to the main leaf stage where the Gaia Gala will begin. Green Sunshine and the Hummingbirds will lead the dance.
[Note: Image credits, Julia Clark (c) 2011, "Dragonfly Sparkle"]
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
IMUNURI Prompt: Flower Shower - one more week
Hold a branch. Smell a flower. Be a tree. This week, connect with the thrumming spring happenings. Write from the point of view of the branch/flower/bee/or tree, what is it like, this thing, spring?
Riff option 1: Write as a poetic address or speech to the Congress of Spring
Riff option 2: Create ambiguity so it's not 'til later in the poem (if ever) that it's apparent who is the speaker (or that the speaker is not human)
Riff option 3: Write in the pseudolanguage (or human-other species pidgin) of the being who is speaking/expressing in your poem - or in their completely other native language
Riff option 4+: Go where nature takes you...
Keywords: poem, spring, poet's-moniker
| Artwork by Viola Kaia |
Riff option 1: Write as a poetic address or speech to the Congress of Spring
Riff option 2: Create ambiguity so it's not 'til later in the poem (if ever) that it's apparent who is the speaker (or that the speaker is not human)
Riff option 3: Write in the pseudolanguage (or human-other species pidgin) of the being who is speaking/expressing in your poem - or in their completely other native language
Riff option 4+: Go where nature takes you...
Keywords: poem, spring, poet's-moniker
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